


I Saw Her Standing There

by Aj4668



Series: Missing Pieces [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alive Finn Hudson, Angst, F/M, Future Fic, Implied Sexual Content, Language, Romance, blam friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-21 09:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6046438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aj4668/pseuds/Aj4668
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam had grown tired of watching his friends find love. He’d been in or to so many weddings in the last few years that he’d lost count, and those that weren’t married may as well be. He wouldn’t call himself desperate, but maybe he was starting to get there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the awesome [fearlessly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/fearlessly)! Any mistakes are my own.
> 
>  
> 
> This is part of the Missing Pieces series. All of the couples' stories complement other stories in the series, and will be more enjoyable (and will likely make more sense) if you read all of them.

Sam had grown tired of watching his friends find love. He’d been in or to so many weddings in the last few years that he’d lost count, and those that weren’t married may as well be. He wouldn’t call himself desperate, but maybe he was starting to get there.

He was happy though, really. When Will hired him to lead the New Directions, it was a dream coming true that he didn’t even know he had. He thought he’d be coaching football, and that would have been awesome, but leading glee clubs and teaching kids who love music? Working with a new generation to teach them that being kind is better than popular, and that bullying is never acceptable, even if it comes from self-loathing? That’s everything, and he’d found his passion.

He’d been hired conditionally, of course. He’d had to enroll in college, and work toward getting a degree before he could actually teach any classes, so he took the SATs again, and actually did pretty well. No one had any idea what happened the first time – dyslexia, maybe, or maybe he just missed a question and all his answers were in the wrong spot, but it no longer mattered. Sam was accepted into The University of Lima.

 

Sam dated, a lot, considering he was in Lima. 

 

First, there was Kelly, a short, curvy blond who he met in college. He had high hopes for a relationship with her, but after a few months, she found a “karmic connection” with someone else, and ended their brief affair. 

Then a few months later, he met Sara. Sara was a beautiful, gifted music major who wanted to be a singer, and was taking classes because she had promised her parents that she would get her degree before moving to LA to pursue music. As much as he enjoyed her company, this reminded him too much of Rachel and her New York destiny, so he parted amicably with her, and they remained good friends. 

Several months later, he met Amy. Then Tara, Emily and Laura. Some lasted briefly, others lasted months. Some were tall, some were short, or light, or dark, or thin or curvy. Some were very intelligent, some very creative, and/or both. The end result was the same. 

 

After a few years of this, he finally came to a realization. 

 

He was still in love with Mercedes.

That was crazy, right? He was a successful, educated and degreed (finally) music teacher and glee club coach at a school for the performing arts. A school that was so successful, by the way, that it had been replicated across the country. A school that, okay, Will really developed, but Sam had helped build. 

He’d even taken the New Directions to Nationals twice, and won once. He was a National Show Choir Championship Coach. So why was he still longing for Mercedes, a woman who really didn’t want him? Or did she? Well, he’d done crazier things than going to find out.

He thinks it may have been Rachel winning her Tony that put him over the edge, or maybe it was Kurt and Blaine having a baby. It could have been seeing Tina and Artie together and both their careers taking off, or Finn and Puck together and thriving in LA, but whatever, he knew it was time.

No, this was crazy, he decided. He hadn’t really talked to her in years. She sent him Christmas cards, and included a quick note each year, like when she’d bought a new house, but they hadn’t actually talked in a long time.

 

Well, maybe it was crazy, he’d done crazier things, so what the hell, he thought.

 

So Sam decided to take a long weekend that fall, and flew to LA to see Mercedes. He’d let Finn and Puck know he was coming in case disaster struck and Mercedes refused to see him, was out of town, or worse, was with some man, so he’d have a place to crash. He landed at LAX a little after 10 am, and texted Mercedes.

TO: Mercy – 10:09 am 9/18/20  
“Mornin’ sexy lady. What are you up to today?”

TO: Sam – 10:12 am  
“Hey Sam, long time no talk. Why aren’t you in class? And not much, today is free, thank God. You?”

 

Oh my god, she may actually be home, he thought. He followed the signs for ground transportation to get a taxi, and then waited his turn to get one.

 

TO: Mercy – 10:22 am  
“Oh took a personal day, had some things to do.” 

 

He got in the taxi, gave the driver Mercy’s address, and settled in. He actually had no idea how long of a drive it would be, and didn’t care. He didn’t care about the cost, either. He just needed to go get his woman.

 

TO: Sam – 10:31 am  
“Everything okay?”

 

Sam started wondering how long the ride would be, if only to time his texts right. He asked the driver, who estimated another 20 minutes. Wow, another reason Sam hated big cities.

Wait. Sam hated big cities. Mercy was in LA, one of the biggest cities in the world. What was he doing? What was wrong with him? Well, bi-coastal couples made it work, right? Not that they were bi-coastal, but that made it better, really – they were half-country, or whatever you call it when you live halfway across the country from the one you love.

Feeling better from his little pep talk, he texted Mercy back.

 

TO: Mercy – 10:40 am  
“Yep, everything’s good. Kind of a big day, actually. Needed the day off for it.”

 

TO: Sam – 10:47 am  
“Sorry, my publicist called. What’s happening today?”

 

“Hey buddy, this is your street. Almost there,” the driver said.

Sam looked up from his phone, and with his heart racing, looked at the street. Beautiful trees shaded the houses, which didn’t seem like the mansions he had feared. Oh, crap, there was a security gate to get on her street. 

“Do you have the gate code?” his driver asked. 

“No, I don’t. I was trying to surprise my woman, who recently moved here. I don’t have the gate code yet,” Sam improvised.

Just then, the gate opened so a resident could leave the street, and the taxi driver went through the open gate. So much for security.

“Looks like today’s your lucky day, dude.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Sam said.

Sam had the driver pull up to Mercy’s neighbor’s house so she wouldn’t see him. He paid the fare, gave a hefty tip, and thanked the driver.

“You’re welcome, and thank you. Good luck with your woman,” he said, and drove away. 

 

Sam was now on his own. He took a deep breath, walked to Mercy’s door, and rang the bell. He heard the chimes, and a minute later, Mercy answered.

“This is my 'kinda big day'. Surprise!” he said. 

Mercy was silent. Sam didn’t know if she was happy-silent, mad-silent, or just stunned-silent, but it was a long minute before she spoke.

“What the hell are you doing, Sam? Are you crazy?” She laughed, and pulled him into a big hug, and kissed his cheek. “Oh lord, it’s good to see you! Are you hungry? Oh you must be exhausted, you’ve been flying all night, right? Tell me you didn’t drive.”

He grabbed her hands, stilling her. “Mercy, I’m so glad to see you. That’s all. I just needed to see you. Let me look at you.”

He stepped back, and looked. She had no make up on, her head was wrapped, and she had on a pair of leggings with some crazy print and an oversized black top. He thought she was beautiful.

“Oh my god, Sam, don’t look at me. I’m cleaning today, and doing some paperwork, and I was just going to relax. Oh my god, my hair,” she groaned, putting a hand on top of her head, as if just realizing how she looked. “I haven’t seen you in how long and this is how you find me?”

“Mercy, I’m not some fan or reporter or whatever. I’m Sam. I’ve seen you like this before, and you’re beautiful. You’re always beautiful, but this is how you look when I think of you most of the time.” 

He hugged her again, savoring the feeling of having her in his arms after so long. He had last seen her at Rachel and Jesse’s wedding three years prior. 

“Sam, why are you here? It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, but what’s going on? Are you okay? You aren’t sick, are you? Is everyone else okay? Oh my god, is it Kurt? The baby?” She put her hand to her chest, clearly worried now.

“No, everyone’s fine. This is a good visit, I hope. Do you mind if I use your restroom, and maybe get some water first, then I’ll tell you everything.”

“Oh of course, of course. Do you want anything to eat? I have some leftovers from last night. It’s barbeque chicken. I can make you a plate.”

“Did you make it?”

“Of course. I still cook for myself, Sam.”

“Then hell yes, I want some of your B-B-Q chicken!”

 

He used the restroom and freshened up a bit, then sat at the kitchen table. He looked at his surroundings, and was at once impressed and nervous. He noticed her stainless steel gourmet appliances, granite countertops, cherry cabinets with brushed nickel hardware, the beautiful hardwood floor, and was starting to feel like he didn’t belong in her world. 

Mercy brought his plate and drink, and while he ate, he caught Mercy up on his life, and a few of their friends. After telling her a few stories about Finn and Puck, and even Kurt and Blaine’s child, he started to realize that Mercy didn’t know much about their friends’ lives.

“What’s going on with you? You didn’t know that Finn and Puck were married, that Blaine was taking time off to be a stay at home dad, anything personal about anyone. You only know professional stuff, most of which you can find out on Facebook or reading Broadway sites or whatever. Why?”

“I’ve just been really busy. You know I did the song for George Clooney’s movie, right? The one Cooper was in, too? And I’m writing some new stuff…”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that, but that’s pretty recent. Finn and Puck got married a year ago. If you didn’t know, you weren’t invited, which means you all don’t talk anymore, apparently. They live here. What’s up with that, Mercy?” 

“I told you, I’m busy, Sam. Very few people understand the demands of this business.”

“Oh, Mercy. Rachel and Jesse do, Kurt and Blaine do, Tina and Artie do, and Cooper still talks to Blaine, so of the ‘very few’ people that understand this business, we are friends with quite a few. They were all at Finn and Puck’s wedding, well, except Cooper, obviously. So, why weren’t you?” He was frustrated and confused, but he didn’t say this unkindly. He was challenging her, but he knew that if he yelled at her, she’d shut him out, so he challenged her gently. 

“Sam, why did you come here? If it was just to lecture me on my poor friendship skills, you can go ahead and go. I assume you made a back-up plan with Finn and Puck since you are so good at being friends with them?”

“I came here to tell you I love you. I love you, and never stopped loving you.” Well, nothing like putting it right out there. He does have a way with the ladies. And also, with words. 

“Oh Sam, no. Really? It’s been so long. I know you’ve had girlfriends.”

“I have, but they just don’t compare.”

“Sam, I can’t.”

“Can’t what? Can’t love me? Can’t be with me? Can’t move back to Lima? What can’t you do, exactly?”

“Any of those things, though I will always love you as my friend, Sam. You have to know that.”

“I don’t know anything. Why can’t you? I’d never ask you to move back to Lima. Your life is here, and you need to be here.”

“Sam, my life is different now. I’m different. You love the Mercedes from years ago. I’m no longer that young, naïve girl anymore.”

Sam sighed. “Mercy, if you mean you aren’t a virgin anymore, I don’t give a shit. You were the one who cared about that, not me.”

“Well, it’s that, but it’s more than just that. We’ve both changed, and it’s been so long.”

 

Just then, they heard the garage door open, and Mercy looked panicked. 

“Mercy, what’s going on? Is that someone you know? Do you have any protection here? A gun? Something? Do we need to call 911?”

Mercy didn’t move, and just sighed. “I’m so sorry, Sam, I should have told you earlier.”

“Told me what?” Sam asked.

The door from the garage into the house opened, and a voice called, “Honey, I’m home!” If it didn’t crush Sam’s heart, he would have laughed.

“Honey?” Sam asked, just as the voice entered the kitchen, where they still sat. Sam turned around and made eye contact with the voice.

“Cooper?” Holy crap, Mercedes was living with Cooper Anderson. What the hell?

“Sam? What are you doing here?” 

“You live here?” Sam asked.

“You didn’t tell him,” Cooper said to Mercedes. It wasn’t at all a question, just a statement, because clearly, she hadn’t.

“No, honey. We had agreed to not tell anyone, and I thought if Blaine didn’t know, Sam shouldn’t know.”

“BLAINE doesn’t know? You haven’t told your brother, who is one of your, um, girlfriend’s best friends, who also happens to be married to the man who at least used to be her very BFF ever. Why the hell not? And are you married?”

“Because you know they won’t react well,” Mercy said.

“That’s crap,” Sam said. “Everyone was surprised when Finn and Puck got together, but got over it. Everyone was surprised when Jesse and Rachel got back together, but got over it. Everyone was surprised when everyone did anything, but everyone GOT OVER IT. What makes this so special?”

“Well, we aren’t exactly each other’s types,” Mercy started.

“Oh and Finn and Puck were each others’ types before they got together? Mercy, this is lame, and you know it. Is it a show business thing? A race thing? You have to tell me something, because this makes no sense.”

Mercy and Cooper looked at each other, and Cooper nodded.

“Sam, I will tell you, but you have to promise to not tell anyone what I tell you,” Mercedes said. “You can’t tell Blaine, either.”

“Okay, now you’re scaring me. I promise,” Sam vowed.

“Cooper and I have been together for about three years,” Mercy said.

“But Cooper was married to… Oh. Well. That explains it,” Sam said.

“Thank you for not freaking out, Sam,” Cooper said.

“Oh no, you don’t start with me. You cheated on your wife, and with Mercedes? One of your brother’s best friends? And you know what? That doesn’t explain it. He’s been divorced for at least two years. Why not come out as dating a year ago? Why not start dating after you did this song for his movie? Why keep it a secret all this time from the people who love you? Do your parents know, Mercy?”

“No.”

“Oh my god, what craziness is this shit? Look, if you all are happy, great. I can see keeping it private from the public, but from us? From your families? When have we ever said anything we shouldn’t have? Sold anything to a tabloid? Oh no wait, that’s right, we haven’t. Do you not trust us? Is there some kind of shame in this? Are we beneath you now? I don’t get it.”

“Sam, I’m so sorry, but you don’t understand…” Mercy was crying now, and Cooper was standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

“Sam, a lot has happened, and if you’d just sit and let us tell you, you may understand,” Cooper said.

“Oh I understand all I need to understand.” 

 

Sam was confused, and angry that they had kept this secret, but he’d admit that part of his reaction was to seeing Cooper standing there with his hands on Mercy. It was clear to Sam that Mercy was right; they didn’t belong together, and she was a different person now. Never would he have imagined that Mercedes Jones would have an affair with a married man. He didn’t care about the virginity thing, that was always her issue, not his. But an affair? Not the Mercy he knew.

He stood up, and said, “Mercy, you have my promise that I will not tell anyone this, even Blaine. I’m not judging you, I swear, but you were right. We don’t really know each other anymore, and your secrets aren’t mine to know. I’m not ready to hear them now, anyway. I’m going to go to Finn and Puck’s.”

“No, please stay, Sam. I’m so sorry,” Mercy said through her tears.

“Mercy, I can’t. I love you, but I can’t.” He looked at Cooper. “Take care of her. If you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”

“I know, Sam. I know how close you once were, and how much you cared for each other,” Cooper said. “I love her, though, and won’t hurt her. I won’t.”

Mercedes stood, and went to Sam. “I really am sorry this couldn’t be what you wanted, and that so much has changed, that I’ve changed so much that you don’t even like me anymore.”

“Oh Mercy,” Sam said. He hugged her tight, and was crying now. “I don’t not like you, and I’ll always love you. I just need time, maybe. But you have my promise, and if he hurts you, if you need anything, you call me. Promise?”

“Promise. I love you,” Mercy said. Mercy knew that Sam was leaving with misconceptions about her life, and her relationship with Cooper, and that it was her fault that he was. She just hoped that one day, she’d get the chance to clear it up. Right now, she had to let him go, and carry the hurt in her heart, alongside her secrets.

 

Sam walked out the front door, and shut it quietly behind him. He knew he’d likely see Mercedes again someday, and it was just too much to consider that he wouldn’t, but he felt like his best friend just died.

He walked down the street to the gate, and thankfully, noticed a pedestrian gate he could pass through. Once he got to the other side, he noticed a bench area, perhaps a school bus stop, and sat down, and called Puck.

“Yo, Sammy, what’s going on? Oh shit, you’re here, so if you’re calling, it didn’t go well. You okay?” 

“No, I need to know how to get to you or Finn.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m near her house. I can call a cab or whatever, but I don’t have any addresses for where you are.”

Puck asked for the street he was on, and Sam gave him the intersection street names. Puck told him to hold on a minute, and when he came back, he had good news.

“Dude, I’m like 10 minutes from you now. One of my guys is covering for me, and I’m on my way. Just stay there. Hang tight, Sammy, okay?”

 

Sam hung up the phone, and sat on the bench. He looked around him. It was a beautiful day, sunny and bright, and the neighborhood was really nice. He could see why Mercedes liked it. For some reason, that thought made him sadder.

Okay, no more thinking. He got his phone out again and opened Facebook. Scrolling through his feed, seeing all of his friends’ posts, even the mundane ones, didn’t help. Their profile photos were of partners, spouses, and even kids. Sam wasn’t desperate – he wouldn’t just settle, but why hadn’t he found his happiness? 

So fuck Facebook today. None of that shit. Candy Crush. That’s good. He played a level, lost all his lives trying to beat it, 1, 2, 3. Well, that’s awesome. Didn’t his cab driver this morning tell him it was his lucky day? Fuck him, too.

He heard a honk and looked up. A white van with “Puckerman Pool Service” written in blue lettering on the side pulled up to the curb. 

Puck jumped out of the van, walked over to Sam, and pulled him into a hug. Sam started crying again.

“Don’t worry, dude. Finny and I have you now. You’re okay. I’ve already talked to Finn, who is on his way home. He’ll meet us there.”

Sam looked at Puck, and said, “Thanks, man. I may have lost a friend today, but the rest of you are the best.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sam never did tell anyone, and when Puck and Finn asked, he told them Mercedes was with a man, but he never got his name. When Finn asked if Mercy was married, he realized that she had never answered that question. It didn’t much matter either way, he realized. She was someone else’s now.

When he got back to Lima, he threw himself into his work, and gave up on dating. Fuck it. The New Directions needed him if they were going to win Nationals, and he had students that always needed him. He had friends, family and a pretty full life without dating. Yes, he really did, thank you very much. Crap, he was doing Elvis impressions again. Santana was going to hurt him.

 

Several months later, Will stopped him in the hallway. 

“Hey Sam, I want you to meet the teacher who is going to fill in while Amanda is on maternity leave. Katie Mason, meet Sam Evans. Sam, meet Katie.”

Sam tried to form sentences. Hell, he tried words. Nothing. He had nothing.

“Sam?” Will asked. “You okay?”

No, he wasn’t okay. He had been punched in the gut. 

Katie Mason was beautiful. She had shoulder length brown hair, golden skin, hazel green eyes, and oh were those dimples? They were. Sam was toast. 

Katie looked at him with her hazel eyes, head tilted, and a small smile on her face. She extended her hand, and said, “Sam, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, good things of course. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Ohmygod, take her hand, already. Shake her hand, you ass, Sam thought to himself. 

Sam took a deep breath, shook her hand, and said, “It’s nice to meet you, too. I can’t wait to work with you, too.”

Will rolled his eyes, but Katie just laughed lightly. Sam thought it was a beautiful sound.

“Why don’t you take her to the music classrooms, and show her where everything is, Sam? I’ll catch up with you both later,” Will suggested.

“Perfect. Um, yeah, that’s fine, Will,” Sam said. Will just rolled his eyes again, and walked away. He had a feeling Sam would like Katie as soon as he met her. 

 

Sam and Katie started working together, and very quickly, discovered they got along great. Katie was teaching freshmen and sophomore vocal classes, and she was directing The Trouble Tones. They were both dedicated and expected the best from their students, but they were fun, easy-going people, with quick laughs. Sam was working hard to keep it professional, but it wasn’t easy.

One day, shortly after Katie started at McKinley, Sam ran into her at the grocery store, as in literally ran into her. When he righted them, he smiled.  
Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing yoga pants, a sweatshirt, and running shoes. He thought she was adorable.

“Hey Katie, sorry about that. You okay?”

“Yep, all good. How are you?”

“I’m good. Just grabbing a few things for dinner. Had a craving for turkey tacos. You?”

“Same thing. Just got done with a run, and am getting some things for dinner and lunch tomorrow. You cook?”

“Well, I’m no gourmet chef, but I like to eat, so I have to cook. One of those pesky adulting things, ya know. Do you cook?”

“Yes, and I love it. I love baking especially, but I also just love cooking. I don’t do it a lot, though, because it’s not as much fun doing it just for myself.”

And she’s single, Sam realized. Hot damn.

“Oh yeah, you just moved here. Where did you move from?”

“Cincinnati. I’ve been trying to get into a school for the performing arts for a long time, and this position came up, so even though it’s temporary, I had to grab it. You know how funding is for the arts. I’m hoping this will lead to a permanent position.”

“At McKinley?”

“Yeah, I’d like to stay in the region, and I love the model of this school. It’s impressive. I know it used to be just a regular public school. I wonder what that was like, and how it became a performing arts school,” Katie said.

“You do? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I graduated from McKinley. Hey, wanna come over for turkey tacos and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know?”

“I’d love that, thanks. Can I put my stuff in your fridge?” 

“Absolutely.”

Sam makes sure to get whatever Katie wanted on her tacos, they paid for their groceries, and left. She followed him back to his apartment, and when she got out of her car, she laughed.

“I live in the building next door. We’re neighbors,” Katie said. 

“Wow, that’s really cool! I can’t believe I haven’t seen you,” he laughed.

“Right? Well, since I’m so close, I’m going to go and drop my stuff off, and freshen up, and I’ll be over in about 15 minutes. Is that okay?” 

“Sure, I’m right here, second floor, on the left. See you in a bit.”

Katie went back to her apartment, and was giddy. She wanted to freshen up, since she had gone for her run, but she also needed a few minutes to collect her thoughts. Oh whatever, she needed to call her best friend, and let her know what was going on.

She ran into her apartment, and dumped everything into her fridge, still in the bags, and then rushed to her bedroom. She wasn’t going to dress up or anything, but she could at least put on clean yoga pants and a clean shirt. She got those out, then rushed into the bathroom, did a quick clean up, and then dialed her best friend, Shelly.

“Come on, come on, pick up, Shell. Shell! Guess what I’m about to do! I’m going to Sam’s for turkey tacos!”

“What?? How’d that happen?”

“I ran into him at the store, and we just started talking, and I mentioned that I wanted to know more about McKinley’s history…”

“Which is true, we’ve talked about that,” Shelly said.

“Yes, and he said he graduated from McKinley, and asked if I wanted to eat dinner with him and he’d tell me all about it!”

“Well, why are you calling me then? Why aren’t you there?”

“I had just gone for a run, so I came back to clean up a bit, and OH I forgot to tell you, he lives in the building next door!” Katie was pulling on her yoga pants, and was getting breathless in her rush to get ready.

“Oh Kate, this is it. I can feel it, sweetie. It’s all falling into place, and I’m so happy. Go get your man, and your turkey tacos. Love you.”

“Love you, too, and I’ll call you later!”

 

Katie gathered herself, grabbed a 6 pack of beer from her fridge, and walked to Sam’s like the 24-year-old woman she was, and knocked on Sam’s door. He opened it a moment later with a smile.

“Hey, come on in,” Sam said.

“Thanks. I brought some beer. It’s not as sophisticated as wine, but I didn’t have any wine, so beer it is.”

“Hey, it’s Corona, it’s perfect.” Oh my god, Sam thought. She’s perfect. 

“Awesome. Hey, your apartment is just like mine, but reversed. How long have you lived here?”

“Oh about 5, almost 6 years. I lived in one other place for a bit when I moved back from New York, but it was a dump.”

“You lived in New York?”

“Yeah, for a little while, less than a year, actually.”

“What did you do there?”

Sam blushed. “I modeled.”

“Wow, and you’re back here? Do you mind telling me what happened?”

“Nope, not at all. I got a big campaign, got my picture up in a ton of places, but it just wasn’t for me. I don’t want to live in a big city. I like things slower paced.”

“What big campaign?”

“Oh god, it was for Treasure Trailz, and well, yeah.” Sam thought he might just blush all through this dinner.

“Oh very cool. Well, you at least tried it, which is awesome.”

“Yep, and I don’t regret it. That money bought my parents a house in Kentucky.”

“That’s really great, Sam.” Katie’s heart sighed. He bought his parents a house. That’s amazing. He’s amazing.

They talked about things at school and some different things to do in Lima while Sam finished dinner. Sam set the table, and put all the toppings in bowls, and put them on the counter. 

“Is it okay if you serve yourself?” 

“Sure, that’s great. This looks really good.”

“Um, you should know that it’s all pretty healthy, like really healthy. The tortillas are whole wheat, though those could probably be better, but it’s lean ground turkey, too.”

“Sam, it’s great. I like to take care of myself, too. No worries, okay?” Katie touched his arm while she said it, and he felt it all over.

She’s perfect. Fucking perfect. 

They sat down to eat, and he said, “So you wanted to know about McKinley? What did you want to know?”

“Oh I guess anything you wanted to share, but how did it go from a public school to an arts school?”

“Oh that’s a story, but Will used to lead New Directions, and fought with Sue Sylvester a lot, and I don’t know all the details, but somehow she ended up trying to impress the superintendent, so his nephew joined New Directions at 13. The superintendent found out a bunch of stuff Sue pulled, and he fired her, and then somehow they decided to make McKinley an arts school. Will developed the model, and hired me to coach the New Directions, and we went from there.”

“Sue Sylvester? Wasn’t she on Geraldo once?”

“That’s the one.”

“Wow, she’s crazy. So what were you like in high school?”

“Well, I was on the football team, and in the Glee Club, and even did synchronized swimming for awhile.”

“Synchronized swimming? That had to have been for a girl, right?”

And he’s blushing again. “Yeah, well, it’s a long story, and a dumb one, but Mercedes was…”

“Mercedes Jones? I know she’s a graduate of McKinley.”

“Oh yeah, we should get this out of the way. I graduated with a ton of people who are now famous. Mercedes, Rachel Berry, Blaine and Kurt Anderson-Hummel, Santana Lopez-Pierce, Brittany Lopez-Pierce, and a few others were all in Glee Club with me. I don’t share any personal stories about them, or get autographs, or whatever.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sam. I think they are all wonderfully talented people, but let me get this out of the way, then. I’m not interested in sordid or embarrassing stories about them, or getting autographs, or concert tickets. I’m interested in getting to know you.”

Did he mention that she was perfect? And he’s blushing again.

“That works for me, Katie, because I’d really like to get to know you. They are all my family, and we’re just all really protective of each other. Thanks for understanding that.”

She reaches out and holds his hand for a moment. “Sam, I think it’s wonderful that you are that protective. It says a lot about you. So, instead of talking about them, tell me about your family. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

They spent the evening talking, and laughing, getting to know each other better. Sam found out that Katie’s best friend was Shelly, a teacher in Columbus. Her parents were still married, and she had one brother who was getting ready to graduate from the University of Kentucky. She also loved dogs, and really wanted to get a one, but felt she wasn’t settled enough just yet.

“You love dogs?”

Yep,” Katie smiled. “I grew up with dogs. Do you like dogs?”

“Love them, and I’d have one, too, but I feel bad since I’m so busy, but I’m hoping to get a house some day, with a yard, and I’ll have a couple of dogs then.”

“Sounds like a nice life.”

“Really?” Sam asked.

“Yes, I grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, and it was nice being near the city for things to do, but I get a bit claustrophobic. I need more air. My friend Shelly thinks I’m nuts. Columbus is too small for her.”

“Oh my god, Blaine still hasn’t totally given up the campaign to get me in New York. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a great place to visit. I just couldn’t live there.”

“No, I couldn’t either. So you visit? Tell me about the Broadway shows you’ve seen.”

“Well, you’ve heard who my friends are, right? Rachel is married to Jesse St. James, so I’ve seen all theirs, like Funny Girl, Jane Austin Sings. I’ve seen Blaine and Kurt’s, like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and all the others.”

“I’m officially jealous. I love Broadway.”

“I know more about Broadway than I ever thought I would, to be honest, but it’s fun seeing my friends do what they love.” He does make a mental note to hit up his friends for tickets if he and Katie ever get to New York.

By this time, it was after 11, and Katie decided she should leave, or she may be tempted to stay for the night. Or forever. She had never met anyone who she felt so easy with, so connected to, so, well, fun with.

“Oh it’s late, I should go. This has been really great, Sam. I had a really good time. Thank you.”

“Would you um, like to do this again? Like go out with me some time?”

“Yes, I really would,” Katie smiled.

Sam walked with her to the door, and Katie opened it. She started to walk out, and noticed Sam grab his keys.

“What are you..”

“I’m not letting you walk home alone, Katie.”

“Sam, it’s next door. That’s really sweet, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do.”

He locked his door, and they walked down the stairs. As they walked towards her building, he grabbed her hand, and held it as they walked. It was a chilly night, but neither cared.

They got to her door, and stopped.

“Katie, I really like you. Thanks so much for tonight. I really had a good time.” Before she could say anything, he leaned down, and kissed her. It was a sweet, brief kiss, and he pulled back, and just smiled at her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sam.” She smiled, and he melted. Her eyes, her dimples, just her happiness, all just melted him, and he leaned in and kissed her again. He put both hands on her face, and she leaned into him, and wrapped her arms around him. She moaned softly, and he deepened the kiss.

Finally, they broke the kiss, coming up for air. She stayed in his arms, and he touched her face, almost reverently. 

“Sam,” Katie whispered.

“Please, tell me you feel this. Tell me you feel like this could be something really special. I know we don’t know each other well, that we only really just met, but please tell me you feel this.” He looked at her, and she felt like his eyes could see all of her thoughts.

“Oh yes, Sam. I feel it. I’m so glad you do, too.”

They kissed again for a few minutes, then she pulled away with a sigh. 

“I don’t want this night to end, but…” Katie said.

“I know, sweetie. It’s late, and you need to get inside. I can feel you getting cold. I’ll see you in the morning.” He kissed her a last time, waited until she had gone inside and he heard her lock the door, and walked back home. 

As soon as he got inside, he called Blaine.

“Sam? Are you okay? It’s after midnight. What’s wrong?” Blaine asked, groggily.

“Is that Sam? Is someone dead?” Kurt asked in the background.

“Blaine, it’s happened,” Sam said.

“Sam, what’s happened? Are you hurt?” Blaine asked. He said up, and shook his head, trying to clear the fog. He was not understanding Sam, but he wasn’t sure if he was missing something, or if Sam was not being clear.

“No, dude, I’m not hurt. Huh? It’s happened. I met her. Keep up!” 

“Who did you meet? Keep up with what?” Blaine asked.

“No one is dead?” Kurt asked. “Why is he calling then?”

“He met her,” Blaine said to Kurt.

“Who’s ‘her’? I’m not understanding this,” Kurt complained. “Whoever she is, if she isn’t dead, why is he calling here at…” Kurt rolled over, opened an eye to look at the clock on his nightstand. “At 12:20 am!”

“Are you guys finished?” Sam interrupted, impatiently.

“Sorry, who did you meet, Sam?” Blaine asked.

“I met Katie, the most beautiful woman ever, the sweetest woman ever, the funniest woman ever, and the woman I’m going to marry.”

 

Sam and Katie continued to see each other whenever they got a chance, and it wasn’t nearly as often as Sam would have liked, but they still managed several nights a week. Nationals were approaching, and The New Directions were going this year. It was being held in New York again, and while Sam was excited to see his friends again, it was always a busy time getting there.

Will was watching rehearsal one morning, a few weeks later, and casually made a comment about Katie. 

“You know, since The Trouble Tones didn’t make it to Nationals this year, what do you think about having Katie go with you so she can help out, see what it’s like, and be a chaperone?” Will asked. “I think it would be good for her to get the experience, and since Amanda called the other day, I’m thinking we may need to start looking for a permanent replacement for her.”

“What? Yes, of course, she can come to New York. That’d be awesome. Really, it would be great. What’s up with Amanda? She’s leaving? You need a replacement?” Sam’s words came out breathlessly and rushed, and Will looked at him and laughed.

“Ahh, you and Katie, huh?”

“Um, well, kinda, I guess.” Sam wasn’t sure what Will would say. Sure, he and Emma dated, but they weren’t teachers in the same department.

“Sam, it’s fine, really. Just be professional at work, that’s the only requirement. How could I say you can’t date a co-worker?”

“Professional like you and Emma in the faculty bathroom?” Sam laughed, remembering that from years ago.

“Oh shut up, Sam,” Will said, but he was laughing. “Do you think Katie would be interested in a permanent position? Amanda is thinking of staying home with her baby, but she feels bad, and will come back to work if I can’t find a replacement.”

“Yes, she wants to stay here, and please, hire her. Please. I’ll even be a reference.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s good to see you happy, Sam, and getting your dream.” Will gave him a hug. “Don’t say anything to Katie yet. I need to make some calls.”

 

At the end of that day, Katie walked into the choir room, and leaned against the wall. 

“Guess who’s going to New York with you?”

Sam looked up from the piano, and smiled. “I guess you are?”

“I am. Seems you need some chaperones, and Will thinks this will be good experience for me. Is it as much fun as it sounds?”

“It’s totally fun, but it’s also chaos and stress, but yeah, it’s fun. You ready to meet my friends?”

“Oh right, they’ll be there. Yeah, I’d love to meet them.” That was one of the things he loved about her. She always seemed to forget that his friends were famous people living in New York. Their celebrity didn’t matter to her at all. “You want me to meet them already?” she asked, with a tilt of her head. Her hair was down today, and a piece had fallen across her forehead and eyes, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to reach out and brush it out of her eyes, and kiss her. 

Work. Professional. Right. No touching, and certainly no kissing in the choir room.

He just looked at her, and said, “Yeah, but you really already knew the answer to that.”

“God, Sam, I really want to kiss you.”

He groaned. “Hold it until later. My turn to cook?”

“Yep, I’ll be over at 6, if that works. Will wanted to see me before I left.”

“It does. I’ll see you later, hon.” He smiled at her, and hoped Will had good news for her, good news for them both.

 

At 5:50, when Sam was just about to take the chicken out of the oven, he heard a knock on his door. He smiled, and went to open it. Katie was standing in his doorway, with tears running down her cheeks.

“Katie, what is it? What’s wrong, baby?” He grabbed her into a hug, and started to rub her back, as if to soothe her.

She pulled back a bit, and smiled through her tears. “Nothing’s wrong. Seriously, everything is so right. Will offered me a permanent position. I get to stay! I can stay!” 

“Oh baby, that’s incredible! I’m so happy for you! But why are you crying?”

“Oh Sam, I was starting to worry about leaving in a couple of months, and I didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t want to leave, and leave you, or the job I love, and now I don’t have to. I can stay!”

He kissed her, with all the excitement and hope he was feeling. The kiss quickly turned passionate, and she pressed her body against his. They had been trying to take things slowly, emotionally and physically, since both were aware that she could be leaving. Now though, everything had changed.

They stood in Sam’s little entryway, kissing for several minutes. Sam had just reached to Katie’s breast for the first time, and she gasped. She pulled back and said, “Sam, something’s burning!”

“Just my burnin’ loins, baby.” He laughed.

“No, seriously, something is burning, hon.”

“Oh shit, the chicken!”

He ran to the oven, pulled the chicken out, and turned the overhead fan on. Katie opened some windows.

“Well, I think it’s done,” she said, laughing. “Pizza?”

“You know, that’s one of the reasons why I love you. You just never seem to get upset over stuff like this.” Sam said it casually, as if he’d said he loved her dozens of times before. He leaned over and kissed her.

“Sam, you love me?”

He was at the stove, dumping the burnt chicken into the trash to take out to the dumpster. At her question, he froze, and mentally replayed what he’d said. Yep, he said it. And over burnt chicken. How romantic.

He turned and walked to her, leaving the chicken. He took her hand, and led her to the couch. He sat her down, and held both of her hands, looking at her.

“Sam, if you didn’t mean it, or didn’t mean it that way…” Katie said.

“No, I meant it, I was just going to wait, since it’s so early, and I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, but I meant it. I love you. I love everything about you, and I want to keep loving you. I think we fit.” He leaned in to kiss her, but Katie stopped him.

“Sam, I love you. You are the kindest, most generous and loyal man I’ve ever met, and I want to keep loving you. I agree that we fit.”

She leaned in to kiss him. After a really sweet kiss, she pulled back.

“Are we crazy, Sam? Is all this too soon to feel this way? I don’t feel crazy, but everyone keeps telling me to be careful, and to take it slow.“

“Katie, if you’re crazy, I’m crazy. I don’t even care. I saw you and I knew. After our first date, I called Blaine and told him I knew.”

“That’s hilarious, because I called Shelly and told her I knew.”

He pulled her to him, and kissed her, passionately this time. Soon, he laid her back on his couch, and hands started roaming freely. When his thumb brushed over her nipple, she groaned and arched into his hand.

“Sam, let’s go to your bed, please. I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?” Katie said with a smirk.

Hasn’t he mentioned she was perfect?


	3. Chapter 3

A few short weeks later, they are in NYC for Nationals. They have a packed schedule, but the night before, they managed to meet up with Blaine and Kurt, Brittany and Santana, Rachel, and even Finn and Puck, since Finn’s glee club was also competing in Nationals. Puck came for moral support for Finn, to see his friends, and to meet Katie.

Being the new kid, so to speak, with everyone was a bit overwhelming, but Katie held her own. Santana asked her a lot of pointed questions, about her past boyfriends, her family, her plans for the future, did she want to stay in Lima, and finally, what were her intentions with Sam.

“Santana, I can tell you love Sam, and it’s clear you all are family, and a protective unit. I really have no intentions of hurting Sam.” She looked over at Sam, who was laughing with Puck and Blaine. She sighed, almost dreamily, and said, “I just love him, and want to keep on loving him.” 

When Rachel and Brittany started clapping quietly, Katie looked shocked, and everyone looked over to them. “What’s the clapping for?”

“You’re as happy as he is,” Brittany said. “You love him as much as he loves you. Samkatie is destiny, I know it!”

“I’m sorry – Samkatie?” Katie asked.

“Yes, Samkatie. It’s your couple name, and it’s as cute as you two are.”

“Just go with it,” Rachel laughed. “But seriously, Sam is obviously so happy with you, and we just wanted to make sure you were in the same place.”

“I am, I promise all of you,” Katie said.

Santana looked at her closely, and smiled. “You know, I think it is destiny.”

Blaine walked up just as she spoke, and said, “What’s destiny?”

Brittany clapped her hands, and said, “Samkatie is destiny!”

“Awww Samkatie. That’s adorable. He’ll love it.” He paused, and thought for a moment, while studying the smile on Katie’s face, and noting her ease with Sam’s friends. “Britt, I agree with you. I think its destiny, too.”

Blaine pulled Katie to her feet, and hugged her. “Welcome to this mad, crazy family.”

Sam looked up and met Katie’s eyes as she was looking over Blaine’s shoulder, and they smiled at one another. Yep, perfect.

 

The following day, the New Directions sang their hearts out, and won, giving Sam his second title as a coach. Finn’s group came in second. All their friends were there to watch, and that night, Blaine met Sam and Katie, and Finn and Puck in the hotel bar for a drink. At one point, when Katie left the table to use the restroom, Sam’s friends decided to interrogate him.

“So dude, this looks serious,” Puck said. “Do I hear wedding bells?”

“Wedding bells? Babe, they’ve only been together for a few months. Don’t rush him,” Finn said.

“Yeah, but you can tell they are in love, like really in love,” Blaine said. “I bet they get married sooner, rather than later. Kurt agrees with me. She’s obviously perfect for him.”

“Yeah, San said the same thing to me last night,” Puck said. 

“Well, that’s awesome, and she really is the one for him. We get invites, right?” Finn said.

“Of course we get invites,” Puck said.

“Why wouldn’t we get invites?” Blaine asked. “We’re his best friends. We’ll probably all be in it. We’ve been in each others’ weddings so far.”

“Cool, another wedding. Summer, I’d guess, since school? I can do that, but Puck’ll need plenty of notice to get a couple extra guys on,” Finn said.

“Yeah, thanks, babe. I appreciate that,” Puck said.

“So next summer, we have a wedding. We don’t have enough time for a wedding this summer, obviously. Do you want Kurt’s help?” Blaine asked, finally looking at Sam, who was sitting back in his chair, smirking. 

“What?” Finn asked.

“Do you all realize that you all had questions, and not only answered them yourselves, but planned my wedding, too?” Sam said.

“Nah, dude, we didn’t do that,” Puck said.

“Uh, yeah, I think we did. I don’t think Sam has even talked since Katie left,” Finn said.

“Well, do you disagree with any part of that, Sam?” Blaine asked.

“Hell no, I don’t,” Sam said. “I don’t know if she’s ready for all that, though. Give us some time, dudes. I am so happy you like her, though.”

At that, Katie walked back to the table, and apologized for being gone so long.

“Sorry about that, guys. Sam, the kids got into a pillow fight in the girls’ room. Hotel management isn’t so happy. Why would they do something so stupid?”

Sam, Finn, and Puck just laughed and shrugged.

 

After returning to Lima following Nationals, the school year wrapped up, and Katie and Sam started making plans for the summer. They’d both be teaching some music lessons, but Katie wanted to do something specific.

“Sam, how do you feel about taking a week off and going to Cincinnati and then Kentucky?”

“You want to do the ‘meet the family’ thing?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen my family in awhile, and I know you haven’t seen yours, and I’d love for my parents to meet you.”

He loved the way she always made him feel special. He had wanted to do the same, but didn’t want to rush her.

“That’s awesome, baby. I’d love for my family to know you, too.”

 

Summer passed without any big events. It was hot, humid, and the students Sam and Katie were teaching were pretty miserable with it. Both were eager to get away, even if it was just to Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

They left one sunny and hot Saturday morning, driving down 75. Sam said, “You know, I never asked what part of Cincinnati you were from, I don’t think.”

“I’m from Anderson, just off 275, and just over the border from Kentucky.”

“Holy shit, that’s only about 20 minutes from my parents, who are in Florence.”

“Yep, works out well, huh?”

Sam thought it was great. He was thinking of future holidays. How cool would it be if their families could get together for Thanksgiving, living that close? Oh boy, SLOW DOWN.

They were both familiar with the drive from Lima to Cincinnati, and though the drive was boring, it wasn’t too long, just a bit over 2 hours. As they were nearing Columbus, Katie asked Sam if he was nervous.

“No, not really. Why? Should I be?”

“No, they’ll love you. It’s just ‘meeting the parents’ is usually a big deal. I’m kind of nervous to meet your parents.”

“Oh baby, don’t be. My mom is the sweetest woman in the world, and my dad just wants me to be happy. It’s why they let me go back to Lima and live with the Hudson-Hummels junior year.”

“Okay, so chilling out starting now,” Katie said, laughing at herself.

 

As predicted, their respective parents were thrilled with the choices their children made. 

Mr. Mason – “call me Bill, son” – appreciated Sam’s manners, his determination in getting his degree, and achieving his goals. He most appreciated that Sam seemed to not only love his daughter, but respected her, too. Mrs. Mason, or Lori, as she asked to be called in the first minute of knowing her, was as cheerful, easy-going, and fun as her daughter. 

She fell in love with Sam as soon as she heard how he used his modeling money to buy his parents a house, so they’d never lose it again. She noticed the way Sam would watch Katie, at random times, and she could see his pure adoration for her. It just simply warmed her heart. He was everything in a man that she’d ever wanted for her daughter. Both Bill and Lori were convinced this was the man Katie would marry, and they were quite happy.

Mary and Dwight Evans had always had a policy to accept whoever their children brought home as partners, so long as they weren’t abusive or otherwise harmful. They had thoroughly enjoyed Brittany when Sam was dating her, if not totally understanding her, and they had liked Mercedes, as well. They aren’t quite sure what happened between Mercedes and their boy, but whatever it was, it had sent Sam reeling. Still, they accepted their children’s love interests, and they were prepared to do the same for Katie. 

They weren’t prepared for falling for her, themselves. They knew, of course, that Sam had, but Katie walked into the Evans home, and it felt as if she’d been there forever. She fit. Stacie and Stevie loved her, and Stevie started calling her, “Big Sis” by the end of the second day of their visit.

That day, they decided to do a cookout, so the guys went to the store to get stuff for the grill, and all the food. Mary wanted some time with Katie, so she asked her if she wanted to sit by the pool with some tea.

“Sure, Mary, that’d be great.”

They sat at the edge of the pool and dangled their feet in the cool water. 

“We really like you, Katie,” Mary said.

“Oh I’m so glad, because I was nervous and I really just love you all. You welcomed me in, just like Sam said you would,” she said with a big smile.

“So, how many people have told you to slow down or be careful already?” Mary laughed.

Katie laughed too. “Oh between my friends, his friends, probably some strangers thrown in, maybe thirty.” 

Mary giggled. “I don’t want to tell you and Sam what to do. Heaven knows you all are grown-ups now, and make your own choices, come what may. I just wanted to tell you about Dwight and I.”

“I’d love to hear that. I don’t think Sam has ever told me, other than you all met just after high school.”

“We did. I was barely 18; he was barely 19. We met at one of those local festivals small towns love. He lived a couple of towns over, and we had some mutual friends. Katie, I don’t know if you believe in this, but I knew almost from the beginning that I would end up with him. Everyone told us to slow down, be careful, take our time – oh we heard it all the time,” she groaned, “and we heard it from everyone. We just didn’t care. We knew.”

Katie smiled. “I knew. I don’t know if I knew right from the start, because for a few minutes after Will introduced us, Sam couldn’t speak, but I knew soon after that this would be really special between us. Sam did, too.”

“You’ve met his friends, I understand. How did that go?”

“Oh they are wonderful. It was a bit intense meeting most of them at once, and Santana grilled me, but really, they are so lucky to have each other. My friends are close, but we spread out more for college, and the friends I made in college spread out after college, so it’s not quite the same as what Sam has. My best friend, Shelly, lives in Columbus, and she’s come up a couple of times and has met Sam. She adores him.”

So everyone approves?” Mary asked.

“Oh Mary, if I wasn’t living this, or I was reading it in a book, I’d say it was a love story that no one would believe. It’s too cheesy, or too easy, or something. We don’t fight. On the things we’ve disagreed on, and it’s not often, we discuss it. We like the same foods, the same TV shows, both love all kinds of music, and exercising. If I weren’t in this relationship, I’d tell people it wasn’t possible.”

“Oh Katie, just relax and enjoy it. Not everyone is lucky enough to find it, and some people don’t want a relationship like this. They prefer the drama, and highs and lows, and if that works for them, great. This is what works for you and Sam.”

“Thanks, Mary. It is really working,” she smiled.

 

They enjoyed the rest of their visit, and were sad to say their goodbyes. Mary asked for Katie’s parents contact information so she could call and introduce herself. She knew where this was headed, and might as well start slowly blending the families now, right?

 

School started again soon, this time with Katie fully in her own classroom, and fully in charge of the Trouble Tones. She was thoroughly enjoying both, and her students.

Sam realized one day that it had been a year since he had gone to LA to see Mercy. He hadn’t talked to her at all since that day, which was startling. He hoped she was well, and happy, but he wouldn’t trade anything to go back to where he was a year ago. He was so happy now.

With Sectionals coming up, everyone was busy, once again. Some rules had been changed so that schools with more than one glee club, like McKinley, could compete in different regions, so as not to have one club dominate all competition opportunities for the school. That meant that both the New Directions and the Trouble Tones were competing. The Trouble Tones were up first, and won. Katie was so excited for her students! It was their first sectionals competition, and their first win! 

The New Directions were competing the following weekend, and won theirs easily. 

Katie and Sam were starting to talk about maybe moving in together. Sam’s lease was coming up for renewal, and they were talking about moving into her place, or seeing if their complex would let them upgrade to a 2 or 3 bedroom place without charging them for breaking Katie’s lease, as combined, they had a lot of stuff.

One weekend, though, Sam got a call from Burt Hummel, and a new option presented itself.

Burt was still a congressman, and he and Carole spent most of their time in DC now. They had thought about selling the house in Lima, but needed a residence in Lima, or nearby, since it was Burt’s district. They had long since paid the house off, and Burt called Sam to see if he wanted to rent it. It was too big for Carole and Burt now, and with the boys rarely coming home to Lima, it seemed foolish to continue to maintain it without anyone living in it. Burt had talked to Kurt and Finn, who both suggested renting it to Sam.

Sam was touched that they had thought of him, but he started to turn it down. “Burt, thanks, really, but I don’t think Katie and I could afford rent on a house that size.”

“What are you paying now for rent?” Burt asked.

“We each pay $500 + utilities. We wanted to move in together, in part, to save some money.”

“Okay, $400 plus utilities and lawn care, and you let the others stay there if they want to come visit Lima. Sold, and you drive a hard bargain, Sam.”

“What? Burt, no, that’s not fair. I don’t want charity…”

“Dammit, Sam, you aren’t charity. You are one of my kids. You think I wouldn’t do the same for Kurt or Finn? And you are helping us. Really. Take it, Sam.”

“Well, I have to talk to Katie, and show it to her. Can I let you know later this week?”

“Yep, call me whenever. It’s yours to refuse.”

 

Katie loved the idea, and loved the house. She called Burt herself to thank him.

“No worries, Katie girl. I’ve heard all kinds of wonderful things about you, and that you and Sam are a match made in heaven. I’d tell you to treat him right, but everyone says you already do. Oh hold on, Carole wants to talk to you. Good talking to you, Katie girl.”

Carole was just as warm as Burt was, and Katie was surprised at how nice and generous these people were to her, someone they didn’t even know. She thanked Carole, and Carole just laughed her off.

“Oh no thanks needed, dear. You’re Sam’s, and Sam is one of ours. We’re family.”


	4. Chapter 4

Sam and Katie moved in the following month, and settled in quickly. They loved living together, sharing the same bed each night, and waking up together each morning.

One night, about a month later, after a long day at school, a meeting with an uncooperative parent who thought her daughter wasn’t getting enough solos, and a flat tire, Katie was happy to just curl up with Sam on the couch and watch a movie.

She sighed, and looked up at him. “I love you. I could stay like this forever.”

“Love you, too, and I hope to.” He gave her a little kiss on the forehead.

A few minutes later, she paused the movie to use the restroom and get a drink, and he ran upstairs to their room. He dug in the back of his closet, to get to one of his two suits. From one of the pockets, he withdrew a small box, and went back downstairs.

Katie was on the couch, and said, “You ready for me to start it again?”

He walked over to her, and said, “No, I want to talk to you. I have a question for you, baby.” He grinned.

“What is it, hon?”

He knelt on one knee, and she teared up, and smiled.

“Katie, I love you. Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I have no idea how I got so lucky that you decided to love me back. You said a few minutes ago that you want to do this forever. Well, so do I. Marry me, Katie, and make me the happiest man alive.”

“Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you! I love you, Sammy, so much!” She threw herself into his arms, and kissed him breathless.

“I haven’t given you your ring yet,” he laughed. 

“Ohhh, my ring.” Truthfully, Katie didn’t care if she had a ring, but she knew Sam was fairly traditional, so she’d wear the ring, and proudly so.

He opened the small box, removed the ring, and placed it on her ring finger. She thought it was beautiful. It was a small, elegant, square cut diamond, and was just perfect for her. 

“Sam, I love it, and I love you. I think I’m the lucky one here. Actually, I think we’re the luckiest people we know.” She held his face, and kissed him again. Then she stood up, turned off the TV, and led him upstairs to their bed to celebrate their love.

 

The following summer, they married. It was simple, and fun, with all their friends and family in attendance. Following their ceremony at their church, they had their reception at the lake. They had it catered, only so that everyone could have a good time, but they served chicken, steak, and pasta, and nothing terribly fancy. They had a DJ that played all night, and even though they wanted simple, Kurt made sure it was beautifully simple. There were white lights in the trees, and the tent covering the tables was lit with the same white lights. 

When Sam and Katie were called for their first dance, he happily took her in his arms. 

“I’m so happy today, my wife,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. “I love you.”

“I’m so happy today, my husband,” she said. “I love you.”

After the dance ended, Blaine and Shelly stood, and took mics from the DJ.

“Hi everyone, I’m Blaine, the best man. Hasn’t this been a great day so far?” He paused while everyone cheered, and then continued.

Hi, I’m Shelly, the maid of honor, and I’ve known Katie since middle school. Blaine and I decided we would spare everyone two long speeches, and do this together. You’re welcome.” Everyone laughed, and Sam groaned. 

“This may be scary,” he said.

“I’ve known Sam since we were sophomores in high school,” Blaine said. “When I decided to run for senior class president, it was suggested that he be my vice president, and at our victory party, he compared us to Wolverine and Cyclops, and Blam was born.” 

He looked at Sam, and at the same time, they said, “I’m Wolverine.”

Kurt just shook his head, and Katie laughed, along with everyone else.

“Anyway,” Blaine continued, “then we became NightBird and The Blond Chameleon in our Superheroes Club, and we saved the Nationals trophy. I say this because even though Sam was epic on his own, it wasn’t until he met Katie that he found the ultimate power: the power of true love. 

At the end of their first date, he called me, late, and told me that he met the woman he was going to marry. I believed him.”

“Katie called me the night of their first date, before and after. Before, she was nervous, and tripping over herself to put clean yoga pants on to look good, but casual,” Shelly said. 

Sam laughed at that, and said, “You looked great, honey. I’m just glad you didn’t hurt yourself.”

Katie just kissed him. She was too happy to care if people were laughing at her nerves now.

“After the date,” Shelly continued, “Katie was ecstatic. She told me she had found the man she was going to marry, and I believed her.

When we were in high school and college, we used to watch different TV shows or movies, and Katie was the first one to scoff at shows like Real Housewives and The Bachelor because there was always so much drama and angst. ‘That’s not how it’s supposed to be, Shell,’ she’d tell me over and over. She’d tell me that she wouldn’t marry someone if she had to deal with that kind of drama, or fight to know he loved her. The first time I met Sam, I knew she’d never have to wonder. Every thing about him shows how much he loves her.”

Blaine raised his glass, and said, “So please join us in wishing Katie and Sam a lifetime of happiness.”

“We love you, Sam and Katie, and we know this journey you are starting will be one filled with laughter, blessings, and love.”

Sam and Katie hugged their friends as everyone toasted them, and then Sam looked down at his bride. Her face was radiant, and she leaned in to kiss him.

 

Yep, perfect. And next week, after they got back from their honeymoon, they were getting a dog.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is obviously from The Beatles' awesome song, [I Saw Her Standing There](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMQU4c1pEg).


End file.
